IAU100 Nameexoworlds: a Call to Promote Global Citizenship Announcement

IAU100 NameExoWorlds: A Call to Promote Global Citizenship Announcement Eduardo Monfardini Penteado [email protected] Downer IAU100 NameExoWorlds IAU100 Secretariat [email protected] [email protected] Jorge Rivero González IAU100 Coordinator [email protected] Downer IAU100 Secretariat IAU100 NameExoWorlds is a global project designed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in celebration of the organisation’s first hundredth anniversary in 2019. People from all over the world are invited to suggest names for exoworlds in a global effort to bring astronomy closer to the public and to stimulate a feeling of global citizenship. Introduction have included stargazing for people organising the IAU100 NameExoWorlds who are elderly or refugees, dark skies global initiative2 (Figure 2). Typically The 100th anniversary of the International celebrations, and parties for the 50th astronomical names are chosen by Astronomical Union (IAU)1 is an anniversary of the moon landing. members of specific groups important milestone being enthusias- within the IAU3 . But the tically celebrated through thousands For the anniversary, the IAU, through NameExoWorlds project, based on a of local, regional and global activities the IAU100 NameExoWorlds Steering previous edition held in 2015, invites taking place worldwide. These events Committee and national committees, is countries to develop their own national Figure 1. An artist’s impression of the Proxima b planet of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser CAPjournal, No. 26, October 2019 5 IAU100 NameExoWorlds: A Call to Promote Global Citizenship contest to select a name for an assigned committees were formed by the local and understanding that we won’t be able system composed of one exoplanet and its National Outreach Coordinators (NOC), to answer these mysteries firsthand — host star (Figure 1), allowing the members under the umbrella of the IAU Office we hope that people will find the value in of the public to engage with the planetary for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO). preserving Earth and think of themselves naming process. This way the Countries without NOCs also had the as citizens of our one, isolated planet. chosen names will represent well-known chance to create their own national characteristics of each participat- committees. All United Nations (UN) The chosen popular names that meet the ing country, increasing the interest for Member States, plus UN Observer IAU criteria will be officially recognised astronomy within the country and States, and all dependent territories were by the IAU, and be used in conjunction providing the opportunity to each state welcomed to participate in an inclusive with the scientific designations. Those to immortalize its own culture in the sky. effort to engage the whole world in this who suggested the selected names will special initiative. be recognized for their contribution. What Are Exoworlds? Each national committee has been The IAU approved names from all collecting names from the public, and countries’ final submissions will be The term “exoworlds” refers to, in the most committees, as of October 2019, released all at once in December 2019. context of this project, the systems will then shortlist potential names. Some composed of one exoplanet and committees will put these names up for their host star. Each participating a national public vote while others will Notes country was assigned one system that is do the vote themselves. These votes will known to consist of one gas giant planet take place between October 2019 and 1 https://www.iau-100.org/ orbiting a single star, so all participat- November 2019. If the chosen names 2 http://www.nameexoworlds.iau.org/ ing countries have the opportunity to are in agreement with all IAU naming 3 https://www.iau.org/public/themes/naming/ name similar celestial objects. When rules and approved by the IAU, they will possible, the assigned systems are be accepted as official names of those somehow linked to the countries by the stars and planets. facilities or scientists involved in the discovery of the exoplanet. Additionally, all assigned stars can be observed with Results Thus Far a small telescope from the latitude of the capital of each country. To date, about 100 countries are participating in the project by organizing national contests, proving How Does the Project Work? that the public interest in astronomy is substantial. As a global and multicultural The core idea of the project is to engage project in its nature, we expect millions of as many people as possible in a global people around the world to be engaged effort to name these exoworlds through in the project by the end of the initiative. national public contests. National Countries worldwide have embraced committees have been created in this initiative as a common goal: to each participating country to be unite in global citizenship on our planet, responsible for developing the one world among many. By feeling a respective naming projects at the connection to other planets — developing national level. Most of the national an interest in their unanswered mysteries Biographies Eduardo Monfardini Penteado is the IAU100 NameExoWorlds coordinator based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jorge Rivero González is the IAU 100 Coordinator based in Leiden University, the Netherlands. Bethany Downer is the IAU100 Communications Editor based in Leiden University, the Netherlands. Figure 2. Logo for the IAU100 NameExoWorlds initiative. Courtesy of the IAU100 NameExoWorlds initiative 6 CAPjournal, No. 26, October 2019.

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